Friday, January 06, 2012

Ok, show of hands, how many of you out there have an Android phone or tablet device? Note that this includes the new Nook and Kindle Fire devices, those are both Android.

Second question, how many of you would be interested in helping me test an application I'm working on? This would involve me sending you a software "package", you trusting me that I'm not doing anything bad to you, and you knowing how to get it installed on your machine when it doesn't come from the market. (Try that with an Apple device! :)) Note, in case you know enough about the terminology, that this in no way involves "rooting" your device.

As a career programmer I've forever wanted to combine my abilities at coding with my passion for my subject, and it's always eluded me. I'm the closest now that I've ever been, I've got an actual application that I've actually packaged and run on my phone. It's not beautiful, but that's part of why I want other people to see it so I can ask you, "What should I make this do?"

Much like writing my first ebook, this is a learning experience. The "meat" of the matter, the big where you have the idea or the feature or the content, you want to think that this is 90% of the job and then you just wrap it up and it's ready for public consumption. It's more like the other way around - the idea itself represents maybe 20% of the final, and then you've got a lot more work in "finishing" it.

Anyway, let me know. This post is going up late on a Friday so I have no idea who is going to see it, but I gotta start somewhere. Thanks!

UPDATED: By let me know, I meant email me. I need some way to send you the files! I probably should have been more clear about that.

4 comments:

But here's the thing: since I just discovered your site, maybe I'm just out of it. What is the application? Does it have anything to do with That Bard? Truly, I would like an app which works with an internet-based SQL database of what's his name's complete works. Then, with a little AI (or maybe not), you could write an app that would quickly find quotes. For example, I have Richard III memorized so earlier when I quoted him, I just wrote it. But I didn't know exactly what Falstaff said after Henry repudiated him. Even now, having looked it up earlier, all I can think is, "He will see me privately." It would be awesomely cool to be able to enter "Falstaff privately" (that's where the AI would come in) and have it spit back, "Henry IV, Part II; Act V, Scene 5; 'I shall be sent for in private.'"

But it ain't enough to make me return to 1999—the last time I was forced to code Java!

I am officially completing my entrance to the 21st century and awaiting my new smartphone via UPS. I would be thrilled to try something new re: Shakespeare. I'm getting an LG Ignite, which is supposedly an Android...